(Not) made in America: 6 Korean shows and their remade U.S. counterparts
If you consume any form of TV, you probably know that the world has been split into two categories in recent years: people who love Korean dramas and people who never even watched “Squid Game.”
What many people aren’t aware of, though, is exactly how much Korean media we’ve been consuming without even knowing.
With the rise of K-Pop, the history-making “Parasite” Oscar win in 2020 and the way “Squid Game” took over Netflix, this may not sound that surprising. But American remakes of Korean shows have been happening right under our noses for longer than that.
For example, if you’ve ever seen ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” then you were watching a K-drama remake before K-dramas were considered cool. At least in the U.S.
You probably didn’t know, because giving a character played by Freddie Highmore a name like “Park Si-on” wouldn’t make much sense. Although “Si-on” does sound like “Shaun,” the American counterpart’s name.
This didn’t stop with “The Good Doctor.” Korean TV shows have also influenced some of the game shows, reality shows — and more — that we’ve come to know.
ABC’s “The Company You Keep,” which premiered earlier this year to critical and popular praise, is just the latest example of this. While a main character in the CIA may be distinctly American, the story itself is pulled from a 2019 K-drama.
So, if you’re a Korean media lover looking to branch into remakes, a fan of “The Masked Singer” or just curious about what shows have Korean roots, look no further.
Freddie Highmore in “The Good Doctor” (ABC)Based on: “Good Doctor” (KOCOWA, Viki)
“Good Doctor” is about Park Si-on, a man on the autism spectrum who is given a six-month trial as a pediatric surgery resident to prove that he is capable of doing the job. His photographic memory and spatial skills that help him as a doctor clash with his social skills and the way other doctors and patients view him. The show maintained the top spot in its time slot in Korea for most of its run, and was remade not only in the U.S., but also in Japan and Turkey.
About the remake: The remake came about when Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim saw the original in 2013, and decided to buy the rights and adapt the series. “The Good Doctor” stars Freddie Highmore as Shaun Murphy, a young surgical resident with autism who leaves his small hometown and troubled past to complete his residency in San Jose, California. Similarly to the original, his attention to detail and photographic memory help him in his work, but he struggles socially.
When “The Good Doctor” premiered, it was the most-watched Monday drama debut on ABC in 21 years. And according to TV Guide, its episode on Oct. 9, 2017 attracted 18.2 million viewers, which topped both “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory” for the most viewed primetime show that week. “The Good Doctor” gained popularity both in the west and in South Korea — receiving Western award nominations along with nominations in South Korea, and even winning “Most Popular Foreign Drama of the Year” at the Seoul International Drama Awards in 2019.
The Masked Singer (Michael Becker/FOX)Based on: “The King of Mask Singer” (KOCOWA+)
Hosted by TV personality Kim Sung-joo, the singing competition invites celebrities from various fields to sing while concealing their identity with an elaborate mask and gloves, thus eliminating judging based on age, career or popularity. Guest contestants even include this well-known American unicorn.
About the remake: The American remake was a huge success and even landed the much coveted post-Super Bowl spot in its third season premiere. It also helped to boost the careers of Nick Cannon as host and Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke as the judges. In order for race to not be a factor, full-on body costumes were used instead of mere masks, which adds to the show’s bizarre appeal, in addition to the over-the-top shenanigans that ensued to keep the celebs’ identities a secret. The contestants have ranged from former boy banders to rappers, Broadway stars and athletes.
The show is not without its controversies, however. While Sarah Palin’s inclusion raised eyebrows, the contestant that caused the most outrage was the former “America’s mayor” and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, whose presence reportedly led judge Ken Jeong to walk out of taping. – Hanh Nguyen
I Can See Your Voice (Michael Becker / FOX)Based on: “I Can See Your Voice” (MNet)
“I Can See Your Voice” is the only singing show where the judges don’t actually get to hear the contestants singing before making their decision. Each episode features a guest judge who, along with a panel made up of celebrities and idols, attempts to eliminate bad singers from a group of six people. The guest has seven rounds to eliminate contestants based on their image, introductions, lip-syncing and more — including an interrogation round.
The moment of truth comes when the contestant who makes it to the end must sing and prove whether or not the judge was right. The winner earns either a cash prize of ₩5,000,000 (roughly $3,800) or the opportunity to release a digital single. The show ran for seven years and has been remade 28 times throughout Asia, Europe and North America.
About the remake: Produced and hosted by Ken Jeong, this version follows a similar format. The guest, though, is a regular person aiming to win $10,000 each round by eliminating a bad singer. The first two rounds are lip-sync challenges, the third and fourth reveal other clues and in the final round, the guest gets to interrogate the remaining contestants. Celebrity panel fixtures Cheryl Hines and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton have previously been joined by stars such as Jordin Sparks, Kelly Rowland, Robin Thicke and more.
Daveed Diggs in “Snowpiercer” (Warner Media/TNT/Justina Mintz)Based on: “Snowpiercer” (Hulu)
While this remake isn’t based on a TV show, everyone knows Bong Joon-ho by now. The original film, released in 2013, features Captain America actor Chris Evans alongside Tilda Swinton and “Parasite” star Song Kang-ho before most of the West knew who he was. Based on a French graphic novel called “Le Transperceneige,” it takes place in an apocalyptic future where citizens are stuck in a caste system on a perpetually moving train until the back of the train decides to rebel. The film, containing half English dialogue and half Korean dialogue, received rave reviews and a laundry list of global nominations and awards.
About the remake: The show first aired in May 2020, with Bong Joon-ho listed as an executive producer alongside Scott Derrickson and others. It picks up with a new cast of characters set on the same train. Jennifer Connely and Daveed Diggs star as Melanie Cavill and Andre Layton, two passengers on opposite ends of the train. Similarly to the film, the show uses a dystopian setting to explore issues with class, social standing and social justice. The show ran on TNT for three seasons from 2020 to 2022 — with the fourth season intending to be the last, as well as TNT’s final original series release. The fate of the season remains in limbo, however, following the merger of Discovery Inc. with Warner Media, the parent company of TNT.
Better Late Than Never (NBC Universal)Based on: “Grandpas Over Flowers”
The title of this reality series, “Grandpas Over Flowers” borrows from the popular Korean drama “Boys Over Flowers,” which features four popular and good-looking boys (plus the girl who gets wrapped up with them). In “Grandpas Over Flowers” four actors in their 70s — Lee Soon-jae, Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung and Baek Il-seob — go on an overseas backpacking adventure with younger actor Lee Seo-jin. The show’s popularity led to two Korean spin-offs and remakes in China, Germany and the U.S.
About the remake: “Better Late Than Never” follows William Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman and Terry Bradshaw on a trip overseas with comedian Jeff Dye, to experience new cultures and check things off their bucket lists. In the first season, they visit cities in Japan, Korea, China and Thailand, during which Shatner took up an interest in Buddhism and the cast got to meet K-Pop girl group Girls’ Generation. The second and final season, in 2018, took them across Europe.
James Saito, Freda Foh Shen and Tim Chiou in “The Company You Keep” (ABC)Based on: “My Fellow Citizens!” (Prime Video, KOCOWA)
“My Fellow Citizens!” stars Choi Si-won as a con man down on his luck and Lee Yoo-young as the police detective he begins dating, who doesn’t reveal her job to him until their wedding day. The show premiered in 2019, and completed with 36 episodes — longer than the usual 16 episode K-drama format.
About the remake: The newest on this list, “The Company You Keep” premiered on ABC in February. It stars Milo Ventimiglia as Charlie Nicoletti, a con man and member of an Italian crime family, and Catherine Haena Kim as undercover CIA officer Emma Hill. When Charlie and Emma meet in a bar after finding out their partners have betrayed them, they spend the weekend together, unaware of their conflicting professions.
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